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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30134796">Coffee Connections</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCoffee/pseuds/CaptainCoffee'>CaptainCoffee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek Voyager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Gilmore Girls, and lots of Coffee, because there aren’t enough in this fandom!, coffee shop AU, cuteness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:00:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30134796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCoffee/pseuds/CaptainCoffee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks for giving me the idea Fran! You’re the best, girl 💜🥰💜🥰.</p>
    </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coffee Connections</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starg8rocks/gifts">Starg8rocks</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks for giving me the idea Fran! You’re the best, girl 💜🥰💜🥰.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chakotay didn’t know much about the petite, lovely redhead that had been coming into his coffee shop nearly every morning for the past few weeks, but he did know two things: one, her name was Kathryn, and two, she had a </span> <em> <span class="s2">serious</span> </em> <span class="s1"> caffeine addiction.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Please. Please, please, </span> <em> <span class="s2">please</span> </em> <span class="s1">”, she teased as he brewed the first batch of the day.</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He could already smell a clear aroma of coffee coming from her- most likely she’d just finished a cup- and it wasn’t unusual.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">For the first time, he decided to ask her point-blank.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How many cups have you had this morning?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes widened innocently.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“None.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chakotay didn’t believe her for a second.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Plus?” he smirked.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Five”, she admitted with a sigh.<br/>
</span>“But yours is better!”</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You have a problem.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes I do.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smiled half seductively, half apologetically, and held out her reusable mug to be filled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chakotay knew he was a goner.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’d <em>never</em> be able to resist that look of hers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Junkie”, he muttered teasingly as he filled her cup.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Angel</em>. You’ve got wings, baby.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gave him another dazzling smile and a wink as she quickly paid and left with her prize in hand.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few days later, Chakotay decided to play a friendly trick on Kathryn.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeing her coming through the window, he had stealthily put all the pots of coffee out of sight, and now could barely keep the smirk off his face as he nonchalantly cleaned mugs.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s no coffee”, he announced as soon as Kathryn seated herself at the counter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shot him an icy glare that made him <em>almost</em> regret his little joke.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s not funny.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can give you herbal tea,” he offered with his sweetest smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The glare remained.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is <em>not</em> an herbal tea morning. This is a coffee morning.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Every morning for you is a coffee morning.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is a <em>jumbo</em> coffee morning. I need coffee in an IV”, she answered, slapping her arm for emphasis.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can give you tea and a Balance bar”, Chakotay countered, not ready to give in just yet.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please, please, <em>please</em> tell me you’re kidding!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chakotay waited one more minute before he admitted defeat.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He knew he was no match for her when she begged.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Damn that little pout of hers...</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m kidding”, he sighed, heading to the back room to retrieve the coffee.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re sick. You’re a sadist. You’re a fiend!” Kathryn yelled after him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yup!”, he laughed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re pretty”, she beamed when he came back.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chakotay stopped in his tracks for a second, not quite sure if that last sentence had been addressed more to <em>him, </em>or to the coffee pot in his hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“For here or to go?” he asked quickly, brushing it off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“To go please.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do you want to know what this stuff does to your central nervous system?”</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Oh, do you have a chart? I </span> <em> <span class="s2">love</span> </em> <span class="s1"> charts.”</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had a feeling she’d actually read one if he had it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Which of course, he didn’t, and looking into those gorgeous blue eyes, he knew it wouldn’t matter anyway.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’d give her whatever she wanted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Forget it. Kill yourself”, he sighed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One more smile and she was gone.</span>
</p><p class="p2">Chakotay sighed again as he stared after her.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This woman was going to be the death of him...</span>
</p>
<hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The weeks passed, and Chakotay’s small coffee shop became more and more crowded as the weather began to turn cold.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now there was barely time for more than a brief ‘hello’ to Kathryn before he had to serve the next customer in line.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He’d even hired some more help, but it didn’t seem to make much difference in the crowds.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One morning however, Kathryn was unusually late, and missed the morning rush.</span>
</p><p class="p2">Chakotay had almost begun to worry about her when he spotted her familiar form coming through the door- <em>limping.</em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What happened?” he asked instantly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s the icicle foot. Latest dance craze, all the hip kids are doing it”, Kathryn answered sarcastically, plumping herself down at the counter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your shoe’s all wet!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This evil puddle was lying in wait. Evil, evil!</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let me get you a towel-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Forget the towel! I need caffeine, whatever form you’ve got. I haven’t had any all day. I’ll drink it, shoot it, eat it, snort it, whatever form it’s in, gimme”, she demanded, pulling her mittens off angrily.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chakotay had never seen her like this-hurried, yes, a little stressed maybe, but upset? Never.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Should I bother to ask how your day’s going?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kathryn took the steaming mug he offered, taking a long, grateful sip before answering.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry Chakotay. Bad morning. But...you make it all better.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Me or my coffee?” he smirked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Both.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">Chakotay felt his heart skip a beat.</p><p class="p1">”Do you mean that, Kathryn?”</p><p class="p1">She was silent for a moment, taking another long sip of coffee.</p><p class="p1">Chakotay almost wished he could take back the question, suddenly thinking that maybe he’d read too much into her words.</p><p class="p1">But as she met his eyes over the rim of her cup, he was certain of her meaning.</p><p class="p1">”You do know how many coffee shops there <em>are</em> in San Francisco, don’t you?” she asked softly, raising an eyebrow at him.</p><p class="p1">”Oh, hundreds maybe.”</p><p class="p1">”Ten different ones on my block alone.”</p><p class="p1">”Yet you always came here.”</p><p class="p1">”I like it here. And... I like you.”</p><p class="p1">Chakotay was sure he must be blushing.</p><p class="p1">“Even when I tease you?” he asked softly.</p><p class="p1">”<em>Especially</em> when you tease me”, she grinned, leaning closer to him over the counter.<br/>
“I think... I <em>like</em> to think you tease me because you care. Am I right?”</p><p class="p1">Their faces were almost touching now.</p><p class="p1">”Yes”, Chakotay whispered.</p><p class="p1">Their moment was interrupted by an insistent customer ringing the counter bell- earning a groan from Chakotay, but only a gentle laugh from Kathryn.</p><p class="p1">When he came back from serving the customer, Kathryn was gone.</p><p class="p1">Chakotay felt like his heart could just about break-until he noticed the napkin she had left.</p><p class="p1">He saw her cheerfully waving to him through the window, and he waved back with a smile a mile wide.</p><p class="p1">Looking down at her napkin again, he chuckled to himself.</p><p class="p1">She’d left her phone number.</p>
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